


Meet me at turtle duck pond

by semistupid



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Pining, also sokka has freckles, facial insecurity, its literally just a story told in memories lol, mutual love for the turtleduck pond, old man is thinking!!!, old man zuko remeniscing, proposal, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25011052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/semistupid/pseuds/semistupid
Summary: In which Old Man Zuko is thinking about his life and how much he loves Sokka.>>>“Are you happy here?” Zuko leaned forward slightly, hoping his proximity would inspire a more honest answer. “It’s just,” He searched for the right words, Sokka was always the talker between them. He broke their gaze so he could think a little clearer. “I know you miss home, I know that what we provide can never replace the South Pole, I just want you to be happy here. I want to give you that.”Sokka smiled again and nudged him. “Yeah I miss the Water Tribe, but you feel like home to me.”
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 230





	Meet me at turtle duck pond

**Author's Note:**

> listen to in this shirt by the irrepressibles for the vibes ;)

In the damp summer air under the full moon, Zuko sits near the turtle duck pond. It’s he and Sokka's favorite corner of the garden, where during the day the heat from the sun cannot touch them from under the willow tree’s low-hanging branches and at night a soft breeze cools sunkissed skin. Zuko folds his weathered hands in his lap and gazes up at the sky, the stars stippling the atmosphere and reflecting in the still water of the pond, interrupted only by the occasional lilypad or ripple of a swimming toad. 

Zuko can close his eyes and remember every conversation they’d had here, every kiss shared, every silent moment. With age he finds himself living in his nostalgia, and this place is laden with fond memories for him to recall. 

___

(It is in this place that the two shared their first kiss as young adults trying to navigate a world being rebuilt.)

Sokka, recently made ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe, had been struggling to adjust to life in the fire nation and Zuko took it upon himself to make him feel welcome in his home for the time being. 

After their first meeting with the other ambassadors and the post-war reparations financial advisor, Zuko took Sokka on his very own, private tour of the palace in which he would be living temporarily while he got acclimated to his new position. The midday sun was at its peak while the two walked through the gardens named after Zuko’s mother, the floral scent hung in the humid air as they ambled shoulder to shoulder. Zuko didn’t mind when the backs of their hands brushed against each other, even though Sokka’s was clammy and Zuko was a human furnace. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this heat, Fire Lord.” Sokka says, wiping perspiration from his brow. Having only brought Water Tribe formals with him, he was wearing the scarlet robes that Zuko had leant him after narrowly avoiding heat stroke upon his arrival. 

“It would help if you knew how to dress yourself,” Zuko replied. He turned his face to hide the blush that rose to his cheeks when Sokka pulled at his collar, revealing his muscled chest to better fan himself. After the war had ended, Sokka made it his mission to train the non-bender members of the Southern Water Tribe using what he had learned while traveling with the Avatar, which had resulted in his newly muscular physique. It was hard for Zuko to ignore. 

“I’ll make an appointment with the tailor to get you a proper wardrobe, I don’t think you’ll need your furs here anytime soon.” He sent a small smile and a playful nudge Sokka’s way, and was given a small, sad smile in return. Melancholy was an expression Zuko rarely saw him wear, so when it appeared on Sokka, it was obvious. “You miss home.” 

The tribesman took a deep breath and turned his face to the sky, replacing his mournful smile with a lopsided, appreciative one. Zuko watched Sokka brush back the sweat-curled baby hairs that had come loose from his wolf tail away from his face before he shook himself out of thought and looked back at Zuko. His eyes were focused and intent, he was one of the few people who didn’t shy away from eye contact with the Fire Lord.

“Aw,” Sokka’s smile was immediately grander, masking his obvious homesickness. “Don’t worry about me, your highness, I’m just worried about how bad I look in red.”

“We have blue fabric, Sokka,” Zuko replied with an eye roll. Under his breath he added, “And please don’t call me that. We’re friends, Zuko is fine.” 

“Oh sure, sure. I just like to tease you… Your Majesty.” He added with a snicker. 

“Ugh!” Zuko threw up his hands in mock defeat while Sokka threw his head back and chuckled. 

The two came to a clearing where a lilypad freckled pond rested among blooming trees, the breeze danced off of the pond water, rippling the glassy surface. This scenery never failed to bring a smile to Zuko’s face. The Fire Lord rested a hand on his ambassador’s shoulder and for a moment they stood in silence, appreciating the beauty of the landscape and the undisturbed family of turtle duck’s toting along their newly hatched ducklings. All of the trees surrounding the pond held their own unique beauty, but the willow tree framing the pond always held a special place in Zuko’s heart. It’s branches drooped low enough to offer shade and privacy, while maintaining a comforting and welcoming posture. Time seemed to slow in this corner of the garden. 

Zuko dropped his hand from Sokka’s shoulder so he could glance at his profile, admiring the serenity in his expression. “I know I can only offer you replicas of the Water Tribe to make you more comfortable here, but I thought I could share this with you.” Zuko turned back to the pond, watching the turtle ducks hop on to the banks to rest. “This feels more like home to me than the entire palace and I hope it will soon feel like home to you.” 

The two made a habit of meeting at the pond when their schedules allowed it, but their duties frequently overlapped making it hard to visit each other regularly. After weeks of passing glances in hallways in between meetings, or small exchanges of words before the Fire Lord was stolen away for Fire Lord things, it had felt like a lifetime had passed since they’d seen each other. 

After Zuko had taken on the role of Fire Lord, after the coronation, after all of the celebrations were over, his friends had departed and he had immediately begun working on post-war reconciliations with the other nations. He found himself alone with the weight of the world on his shoulders. During this time, writing to his friends kept him level-headed and it became his escape while he learned how to rule a nation. Though he was just as busy training other tribesmen and women and helping to rebuild and expand the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka always made time to write to Zuko. Somehow he was able to not only respond to every letter sent his way, but would come up with funny stories that relieved any and all stress that Zuko had been feeling prior to reading them. He could hear Sokka’s exaggerated story-telling voice as he read the tribesman’s chicken scratch handwriting, which had worsened with the excitement of relaying his tales to his friend. Now that they lived under the same roof, Zuko found himself missing the correspondence he had come to expect from his friend and often re-read the old letters in his candle-lit room before he went to sleep every night.

Zuko had laid out the makings for a picnic on a blanket underneath the large willow tree near the pond, the family of turtle ducks chirped happily as he tossed pieces of a bun to them and the wind occasionally scattered petals from a cherry blossom tree through the air. His heart skipped when he heard Sokka rounding the corner, he straightened his tunic and tried to flatten his flyaway hairs that still didn’t fit into his topknot. He surveyed the contents of their makeshift dinner to verify that he had brought everything that he had intended to bring, and grabbed another bun to toss to the turtle ducks. A smile spread across his lips when he turned to see his blue-clad ambassador walking toward the pond. 

“You got here all by yourself this time.” Zuko said, turning back to the turtle ducks to hide the blush coming to his cheeks. 

“It’s not my fault this garden is a maze!” Sokka said with a smile as he planted himself next to Zuko, “What did you pack this time? I’m starving!” 

In between laughing at the poor excuses for Water Tribe snacks and gasping between bites of fire flakes, they relished in each other’s company. Occasional eye contact and finger brushes bringing heat to their cheeks, both pretending the arid air was the reason for their flushed faces. Sokka joked about how stiff and formal the other ambassadors were and Zuko poked fun at his royal advisors who are all so much older than him. Laughter came easy, smiles came easier. For once neither of them had anywhere to be and they reveled in the momentary stillness of their lives. 

“How have you been, Sokka?” Zuko said earnestly after their silence stretched on for what seemed like a lifetime. He looked over at his companion whose face was turned to the sky and eyes were closed against the descending sun. 

“Great! My ambassadorial duties have been keeping me busy and I think I’m finally getting used to the weather.” He said this with a smile, but Zuko could hear a twinge in his voice that revealed that there was something else Sokka had wanted to say. 

Zuko pushed off of the ground where he had been laying so he could look closer at Sokka’s face. Sokka’s complexion had a deeper tan than when he had first arrived and freckles peppered his nose, cheeks, and forehead; his wolf tail was longer, the baby hairs that he had once struggled to pull back were no longer a nuisance. His once callused hands had softened some after giving up combat training for reading scrolls and proposing reparations. The blues he adorned were mere reproductions of the elegant regalia that Zuko was used to seeing him in at the South Pole, though the tailor had tried to closely emulate Water Tribe clothing. Sokka opened one eye to look back at Zuko who was so closely studying him, raising a questioning eyebrow. 

“Are you happy here?” Zuko leaned forward slightly, hoping his proximity would inspire a more honest answer. 

With that Sokka closed his eye again and breathed for a moment, a gentle smile creasing the corners of his eyes. He sat up and angled himself to face Zuko, the setting sun reflecting in his pale blue irises. 

“Why do you ask?” He said with a crooked smile.

It took Zuko a moment to think of a reason. Why did he care? Sokka was just another ambassador, he wasn’t asking the others how they felt. He wasn’t making them snacks from their nations or inviting them to picnics. He wasn’t sharing his favorite place in the world with them. They were just ambassadors. So why was Sokka any different? Zuko didn’t want to admit that his heart ached any time he found Sokka fidgeting with the bone choker around his neck or reading and re-reading the letters he received from Katara for comfort. Knowing that Sokka longed to be back home and would eventually have to leave was a constant thought on his mind. Was it selfish of Zuko to want Sokka to think of the Fire Nation as his home? 

“It’s just,” He searched for the right words, Sokka was always the talker between them. He broke their gaze so he could think a little clearer. “I know you miss home, I know that what we provide can never replace the South Pole, I just want you to be happy here. I want to give you that.” 

Sokka’s head fell as a broad smile spread across his face and he huffed a laugh, Zuko could see the pink that was dusting the tips of his ears as Sokka muttered something under his breath. 

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” Zuko leaned forward to better make out what Sokka was saying. 

Without warning Sokka grabbed Zuko’s collar and pulled him down into a soft kiss, his free hand came up to hold Zuko’s cheek. Their hearts raced while the sun set around them and the turtle ducks banked for the night. Zuko, not knowing what else to do with them, put his hands on either side of Sokka’s face, brushing his thumbs against the freckled skin that he had dreamt about for years. 

When they finally pulled apart Sokka looked at Zuko’s red flushed face through half-lidded eyes. 

“I said,” he pressed another kiss to Zuko’s cheek just below his scar. “You make me happy.” 

“So…” Zuko’s mind was elsewhere, words were not coming easily to him. “You… Um….” 

Sokka smiled again and nudged him. “So, yeah I miss the Water Tribe, but you feel like home to me.” 

Zuko’s heart warmed and he felt all his worries melt away. He smiled back at Sokka, relief flooded his body knowing that the feelings he associated with his friend had been reciprocated. He never wanted to leave their spot by the pond. 

“C’mon, Fire Lord. Let’s pack up before it gets too dark, I don’t want to get lost again.” 

___

(If he closed his eyes, Zuko could hear the palace staff clearing away the remnants of dinner, Sokka’s favorite meal of the day.)

It had been one of the many dinners that Zuko and Sokka had shared together, it was habitual now that they ate seated next to each other. That night, the palace was hosting guests from the Earth Kingdom who had come for trading business. Zuko took his regular seat to Sokka’s left, settling into routine, but was startled to find Sokka looking fixedly at him, a question on his lips. 

“Why are you staring?” He whispered, so as not to interrupt the conversation that was happening across from them. He nudged Sokka’s knee under the table hoping to break his firm gaze, but he held steady. “Are you okay?” Zuko tried again.

“Why do you sit there?” Sokka asked, nodding to Zuko’s position, before picking up his chopsticks and taking a bite of his food. 

“Um… No reason, it’s just where I sit.” Sokka’s eyes narrowed at the response before he nodded and went back to stuffing his face. That night they were served dishes that were common in the Earth Kingdom, there were trays of seared fish and lobster crab, kelpy greens, and bean curd puffs, Sokka helped himself to fistfulls of the latter. Zuko pushed his rice around in his bowl trying to decode his boyfriend’s sudden interest in where he sat. He had never paid much attention to where he was seated at the table. It was a formality that the Fire Lord sat at the head of the table, but it felt so stiff to sit alone, he much preferred sitting among the conversation where he could see and hear everybody that joined him. 

Zuko tried and failed to join the discussion that the Earth Kingdom guests were having, but he found no interest in the talk about trade, so he turned his attention back to Sokka who was talking animatedly to an earth bender who had recently visited Toph’s metal bending school. He demonstrated his newfound ability on a knife, bending the cutlery in intricate and unnatural shapes before stretching it back into its original design, all the while Sokka cheered him on. Zuko couldn’t help the smile that found itself on his lips. 

That night settling into bed, Sokka watched Zuko carefully as he read over the scroll detailing the meetings’ agendas for the next day. His stare was intense and Zuko found it hard to focus with eyes on him.

“Yes, Sokka?” Zuko looked to his right where his boyfriend laid with his arms crossed over his chest, squinting. 

“Why do you sleep on that side of the bed?” He asked, eyes squinting further to enunciate his inquiry. He had let his hair out of his wolf tail and it was falling in waves over his pillow, he slept shirtless, finding it too hot to wear the top half of his pajamas, so his muscular form was defined against the white sheets that covered the rest of him. 

“Um… I don’t know.” Zuko replied, lowering the scroll and looking out at the moonlight that came in from his balcony. “Probably because this side of the bed gets more sunlight in the morning and you like to sleep in.” 

Though Sokka didn’t sleep much later than Zuko, he liked to take his time waking up in the morning, and he cursed the sun every time it prodded him to get out of bed. 

“Hm,” Sokka brought a hand to his chin while he considered Zuko’s response, sinking further into bed. Zuko was about to ask Sokka why he was so curious about his ‘spots’ in the house, but Sokka turned over and extinguished the candle on his side table, his breath deepened and a gentle snore rumbled from his chest. Zuko huffed a laugh, he envied how fast the tribesman was able to fall into sleep. 

After his morning briefing, Zuko walked into the dining room for breakfast, shocked not only to find Sokka waiting for him, but waiting for him in his chair.

“Is there a reason you’re in my seat, Sokka?” He asked with a laugh, pulling out the chair to Sokka’s right. Upon sitting, Zuko put a hand to his cheek to rest his head in, an action that was as much of a reflex as crossing your legs. Before he could eat, he realized that Sokka had stilled beside him, staring again. He lifted his head and turned to look, confused by the hurt in Sokka’s eyes. “Is everything ok?” 

“Do you sit on my left so that I can’t see your scar?” Sokka asked, his voice soft. His brows pinched together in sorrow. 

“I… ,” The thought had never really crossed Zuko’s mind, it was just something he did. He looked down at his lap and wrung his hands, feeling shame in his own self-consciousness. “I guess I do.” 

Sokka reached over and guided Zuko’s chin so that he had to face him, though he kept his eyes down. This new revelation was so telling, his scar had been something that branded him as dishonorable all of his adolescence. It was something he had tried to hide his whole life, so it was only natural that he would try to keep it from the man he loved. He just hadn’t realized he was doing it. The silence in the empty dining room reverberated in the high ceilings and Zuko almost wished that a palace hand would walk in so that the tension would break. 

“Zuko… Zuko look at me.” Sokka pleaded. He waited for Zuko’s eyes to meet his own. He moved his hand from Zuko’s chin to his cheek, gingerly brushing his thumb across the reddened skin of his scar under his eye. Zuko leaned into his touch, Sokka had never been afraid to touch him like his other partners had been. “Zuko, you’re beautiful.” 

A tear spilled over Zuko’s untouched cheek and Sokka brought his other hand up to brush it away, pulling him in to kiss the damp skin beneath his eye, then the tip of his nose, then his scarred cheek over and over again. Sokka pulled back and said it again and Zuko knew this wouldn’t be the last time he heard it from him. He thought of how often he had been unknowingly shielding Sokka from that side of his face. At every meal, every meeting, in bed, even while they rode Appa on their journey with the Avatar, Zuko had been putting himself to Sokka’s left, so only the side of his face untouched by Ozai’s flame was visible. Then he couldn’t hold the tears back any more and Sokka left his seat to hold him. It felt long overdue, the tears coming fast and easy down his face, only catching where his skin met the fabric of Sokka’s tunic. Sokka held him steady, one hand on the back of his neck, the other rubbing between his shoulder blades as his body was racked with sobs. They stayed like that for a while, holding each other while Zuko let the truth of his habit sink in. 

Zuko pulled away with a sigh, trying to find an ounce of his dignity while wiping the tears off of his eyelashes and jokingly dabbing the damp spots he left on Sokka’s chest. He chuckled an apology, feeling silly that he had ruined their breakfast with his hysteria. 

“Don’t apologize,” Sokka said with a smile and a shake of his head. He cupped Zuko’s cheek again and looked deep into his amber eyes, his piercing blues seeing right through Zuko. “You don’t ever have to hide from me, Zuko.” 

___

(From his position under the tree Zuko could see the balcony attached to his bedroom, where they had gotten engaged so long ago.)

It was the night that Sokka was due to make his annual trip back to the South Pole to relay the information he had been collecting as ambassador, when he found himself on Zuko’s balcony, unable to rest. His trips home had become less and less frequent as he settled into his life in the Fire Nation and into his life as the Fire Lord’s boyfriend. Tensions had calmed significantly over the years with the help of all the ambassadors, so really, going home wasn’t much more than a formality. Sokka missed his family, of course, but his father had made a habit of visiting the Fire Nation, and Katara and Aang always stopped by on their travels, so he didn’t need to visit as often as he thought he would. 

That night the moon was high and full and he thought back to when he was a young boy yearning for the attention of his best friend. It felt like lifetimes ago when he had first arrived in the Fire Nation, eager to begin his new occupation, but crawling with nervous energy being away from home and alone for the first time. Any time he had traveled it had always been with friends. He recalled the pit that sat in his stomach during his trip overseas, he had been so nervous about being by himself that he had forgotten who would be receiving him. When he stepped off the boat Zuko had greeted him with open arms and Sokka knew that he would be okay. Before Sokka could even register that he was homesick, Zuko had known. Zuko had arranged his room with blues and traditional South Pole art and furniture. Zuko had tried- emphasis on tried- to replicate Water Tribe meals and snacks. Zuko had always been there. 

He glanced over his shoulder through the doorframe and watched Zuko’s bare chest rise and fall with each deep breath as he slept. The moonlight kissing his pale skin and catching in the dark hair that spilled across his pillow. Sokka fidgeted with the fabric band in his pocket as he turned back to gaze out at the gardens below them. He could see their pond from where he stood, and he listened to the badgerfrogs croaking to each other. He leaned his forearms on the railing and closed his eyes to the sound of sleeping life around him. 

Sokka thought about the life he now had and how it differed so greatly from the life he thought he would have after the end of the war. After a year of training non-benders in the South Pole, there was a call for an ambassador to the Fire Nation, and he had been the sole candidate for the role. No one could think of anybody better for the task, including his own father. He had been craving a change of scenery and was finding that he missed his friend in the Fire Nation who he hadn’t seen since their Avatar gang disbanded. The letters they exchanged were frequent, and Zuko occasionally sent him gifts and Fire Nation snacks, but Sokka always found himself yearning for more. He wanted to hear his voice again, he wanted to feel the intense heat of his bending in close quarters, he wanted to ‘accidentally’ brush hands with him as they reached for the last rice candy. Though he knew how hard it would be to once again leave his family and friends, he felt drawn to a life with fire. 

It seemed like he had been standing alone in the moonlight thinking for hours when he heard the stirring of sheets behind him. Zuko silently padded across the room behind him and wrapped his arms around Sokka’s waist, resting his warm, unscarred cheek against Sokka’s cool, chiseled back. 

“Why are you awake?” Zuko mumbled still half asleep, his eyelashes tickling Sokka. 

“I just had a lot on my mind,” Sokka turned around to envelop Zuko, falling comfortably into his warm embrace. Their height had evened out after they both had finished growing, but Sokka was still just tall enough to rest his chin on Zuko’s head when Zuko wasn’t standing up straight. 

“Talk to me. Are you worried about your trip?” Sokka could feel Zuko warming up, his ability to control his temperature came in handy on cool nights. Sokka’s extended time away from the Water Tribe made him more acclimated to heat rather than cold. 

“No not at all.” Sokka pulled away slightly to look into those amber eyes, he brushed away the sleep-staticked hair that clung to Zuko’s face. “I was just thinking.” His hand rested on Zuko’s jaw, thumb brushing across the rough scar under his eye. 

“Thinking about what, Sokka?” Zuko’s brows furrowed, his grip around Sokka’s waist tightening. “You’re being uncharacteristically vague.” 

Sokka pecked a soft kiss on Zuko’s nose and then another on his lips. 

“Us,” he finally said. Sokka always wished he could bring the Fire Lord on his trips to the South Pole, but he knew that dragging him away for something as simple as an ambassador's briefing was ridiculous, especially since his vacation time was already so limited. 

“Us?” For a moment worry passed over Zuko’s face before Sokka smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, this one longer and deeper. The momentary fear left Zuko’s body as he clung to his boyfriend. 

“Yeah, I was thinking about my lame title.” Sokka said and squared his shoulders with a smile. 

“You want a promotion?” Zuko frowned at Sokka. Waking him up at this hour to ask for a raise? While it was unexpected, it wasn’t out of character for his joke-ready partner. 

“You could say that,” Sokka smiled softly and reached into his pocket, Zuko’s eyes followed his every move and widened comically when Sokka’s hand emerged. 

In it, Sokka held a deep red band, measured to fit Zuko’s neck perfectly. Centered on the band was a rare stone so deep blue it could have been black. Sokka had never been artistically gifted but he was proud of his craftsmanship, especially the willow tree he had engraved on the centerpiece, a token to their favorite place in the world. It would be an understatement to say that he had spent a lot of time on this necklace, discreetly gathering materials and working without Zuko’s gaze was nearly impossible, not to mention the stress of etching into such a precious stone. Sokka had taken months to craft this, and months to gather the courage to present it to the love of his life. He had known that he wanted to share the rest of his life with Zuko for years, but he could never find the courage to ask what needed to be asked. It seemed now, under the glow of the moon, in the arms of the man he loved, on the anniversary of the day he’d landed in the Fire Nation for his new job, he felt invincible. 

But the look in Zuko’s eyes brought him right back to mortality. The shock on Zuko’s face was apparent and there was an undertone of amusement that Sokka only saw when the two played hooky and snuck out of the palace to watch bad theater productions. Sokka’s heart shattered when Zuko turned on his heel and dashed back into his room, all of his artificial warmth leaving with him. 

Sokka followed, heart in his stomach, and watched as Zuko held a small flame in his right hand while rifling through his bedside table with his left. He mumbled to himself as he rooted through its contents, throwing old letters, balms, and scrolls onto the bed to dig further. Sokka thought maybe he was looking for a letter of eviction that Sokka could sign for being so stupid to ask the Fire Lord to marry a simple tribesman. 

“Hey we can talk about this,” Sokka stood behind Zuko who was still digging through the contents of his drawer. “You don’t have to rush into an answer. You don’t have to answer at all actually, we can pretend this never happened”

With an “Aha!” Zuko spun around to face Sokka, with a wild look in his eye he presented in his hand the item that he had been searching for, the flame in his hand dancing higher in excitement. 

Sokka’s jaw could have hit the floor. All of the doubt and sorrow that sat in his chest left in one breathy chuckle. 

Illuminated by the flame Zuko held was a blue band; a deep blue that Sokka recognized as native to his tribe. Attached to the band was an opalescent stone with a small flame engraved on its surface, which in the right light could take on the appearance of a wave. Using his hand that wasn’t already holding a betrothal necklace, Sokka cupped Zuko’s outstretched hand and gawked at the finely made offering. The band was slightly thicker than traditional dimensions, and the stone was clearly native to the Fire Nation, but it was so perfectly Sokka, just as the slightly thinner, deep red band and intense, dark stone were so perfectly Zuko. 

“So, that’s a yes?” Sokka mused, watching the flame flickering in the reflection of Zuko’s rich, golden eyes. 

“What do you think?” He said with a smile. Zuko brought himself to Sokka’s lips and they stood locked in each other’s embrace for a moment, caught in the feeling of complete and utter happiness. 

When they parted Zuko turned from Sokka and lifted his hair to bare his neck. For a second Sokka thought he was going to start tearing through his bedside table again before he realized what the gesture meant. Sokka unclasped the necklace he held and carefully wrapped it around his fiance’s smooth, pale neck, checking that it wasn’t too tight. Zuko brought his fingers to the pendant that rested in the hollow between his collarbones, the new weight was comforting, it was a piece of Sokka that would be with him always. He turned around and placed a kiss below Sokka’s eye where his eyelashes would meet his cheeks when he smiled. 

“How does it look?” He asked shyly, a heavy blush heating his cheeks. 

“You’re beautiful,” Sokka kissed the tip of Zuko’s nose before turning around, moving his dark hair out of the way, and presenting him with his nape. Zuko wrapped the band around his neck, his warm fingers brushing against Sokka’s skin, encouraging goosebumps to appear. He fastened the band slowly, enjoying the pink tint that was painting the tips of his fiance’s ears. When the clasps connected, he brushed his hands over Sokka’s firm shoulders, down his back, then around his waist and held him there. Sokka mirrored Zuko when he brought his hands to the stone that rested above his pulse. 

“I wanted to wait until after you had returned from the South Pole so we could have more time to celebrate,” Zuko pulled away so Sokka could face him again looking into his moon-rimmed eyes, tears threatening to spill over his cheeks at a moment’s notice. 

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Sokka replied, tears glossing his own eyes. He moved to pepper kisses all over Zuko’s face, slowing only to gently kiss his scarred eyelid softly. “Spirits. I love you more than words can describe, Zuko.” 

“Is this promotion adequate, Ambassador Sokka?” Zuko smiled and brushed Sokka’s hair over his ear out of his face. He could stare at his face all day, and now he had a lifetime to do so.

“Hm, no I don’t think so, but we can talk about that later.” Sokka scooped Zuko off of his feet and placed him on their bed, crawling over him until they were nose to nose breathing in the other’s breath. He planted a kiss on Zuko’s lips before he could object. Sokka pulled away just far enough to look down at his fiance whose raven black hair spilled over the white sheets of their bed and whose skin bathed in the moonlight that was streaming in from the balcony. 

“Being married to the Fire Lord isn’t enough for you?” Zuko brought his arms around Sokka’s neck and pulled him closer again, his fingertips warm with excited energy. 

“Never,” Sokka said with a smile. 

___

(It is here under the willow tree, among the low hanging branches, hidden from the palace, where Zuko finds the most peace, here with his love.)

Zuko finds it difficult to recall a happy memory that wasn’t full of Sokka. Tonight he sits under the willow tree again, a spread of Water Tribe food before him while he watches the turtle ducks drift to sleep and the badgerfrogs croak to the moon. Tonight is the anniversary of he and Sokka’s wedding, one of the largest celebrations the Fire Nation had had in centuries, not only marking the union of water and fire, two tribes plagued with war and violence against each other, but a day of peace and prosperity for the young Fire Lord. The vows had been exchanged in private, only close friends and family bearing witness to their union in the intimate privacy of the palace gardens. The palace later opened up to all who wanted to pay their congratulations to the newly wed couple, who had been so captivated in each other, they barely remember there even being a party. 

Zuko finds himself smiling remembering Sokka’s vows, which were laced in humor and sweet anecdotes that contrasted Zuko’s formal but heartfelt vows. Zuko had worn traditional Fire Nation robes that were made in Water Tribe blues, and Sokka wore his Southern Water Tribe regalia in Fire Nation reds. They had never felt so connected, dressed worlds apart and yet closer than they’d ever been. For the ceremony they decided to do the exchanging of betrothal necklaces, purely for the spectacle among their guests, and they both had felt so bare without them on their necks up until they were back on. 

Sokka had so easily integrated into the Fire Nation that after the parties and the constant stream of wedding gifts had died down, life in the palace returned to normal. Nothing felt out of place, everything was just right. Zuko’s life was whole again. He had felt such emptiness when his adventures with Aang and the gang had ended, he found himself constantly searching for purpose again. He had gone straight from hunting down the Avatar, to training the Avatar and his friends for the confrontation with Ozai, to life right back into royalty. He had been so lost without his friends, so when Sokka was back in his life he had finally felt whole again. It was like Sokka had always been there. 

And because of that, it felt so, so empty without him. 

“Goodnight Sokka,” Zuko says. He brushes his hand across the stone that marks where his husband’s body lays, the cold surface gritty against his aged palm. The stone of his betrothal necklace had been faceted into the rock, and Zuko wears the bare blue band around his wrist, the fabric faded with wear and age. He kisses the tips of his fingers and traces over his husband’s name. The gravestone had been imported from the Southern Water Tribe with the help of Katara and Aang, Sokka wouldn’t have wanted lava rock, he deserved something more representative of who he was and where he came from. For as long as he lived in the Fire Nation, he was a tribesman through and through, Zuko loved his unwavering pride in his identity. Zuko loved and continues to love every aspect of his husband. Though he mourns every day he is alive when Sokka is not, he finds solace knowing that one day he can be laid to rest next to him so that he can find him again in the spirit realm where he no doubt is sharing jokes with Iroh. With a smile he pushes off of the ground and looks to the sky knowing somewhere Sokka is smiling back.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first time writing and I'm super pumped! <3


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